AFTER 14 YEARS, NO ANSWERS: WHO HELPED RWANDAN MASSACRE SUSPECT GET JOBS IN ANGOLA
AND KOSOVO? AND WHY?

15 APRIL 2008

It has been 14 years since Callixte Mbarushimana was accused by his former U.N. colleagues in Rwanda of assisting in the
massacres. Yet his case remains pending. After being arrested on an Interpol request, he remains "under investigation"
in France. The level of assistance he received from certain U.N. quarters -- particularly in moving to other
Peacekeeping missions like Timor Leste and Kosovo indicates that some highly-placed officials at U.N. Headquarters
(at the time, or perhaps still around for a few more months) lent their protective influence. The question is not
only who but why? Not only what were his connections, but what does he KNOW?

While unforum.com raised the question regularly since 2002, it was only in November 2004 that
mainstream media caught up with an item reported by unforum.com two years previously about a
massacre suspect in Rwanda:

"...But it was too late, too vague. A television network that expressed initial
interest ended up reproducing the spinned version -- mainly shaming "the U.N." in general, while
evading the real hard question. The most recent outrage related to a "compensation" of about
$35,000 to Callixte Mbarushimana, a local UNDP staffer accused of participating in Rwanda massacres
and dropping the case against him. That led many to accuse U.N. bodies concerned of "mismanaging
evidence" and "betraying the genocide victims" by ruling in the suspect's favor without a serious
trial. The most credible outcry came from UNDP current Administrator Marc Malloch-Brown who
expressed genuine anger and frustration. Other protesters did not sound so convincing as they shifted
attention to an administrative issue. As anyone within the system knows, any personnel case could be argued
forcibly well in any internal Board. The quality of those representing the claimant or the
personnel office; procedures overlooked or applied; available or unavailable information -- so many
elements could play into the hands of any administrative argument. In fact, some staff lawyers may
have felt that a case was won for an improperly fired staff!

"The real question is not why he was paid -- which is extremely frustrating to many -- but WHO
HELPED HIM AFTER THE MASSACRES GET SUPERVISORY JOBS IN ANGOLA AND KOSOVO?

"It is by now public knowledge that ten years ago, during 1994 Rwanda massacres in Kigali, Callixte
Mbarushimana was widely reputed to have actively participated in mass killing of Tutsi. As the
U.N. international staff were withdrawn, he took control of the U.N. compound. As reported by
several sources -- and later by the Sunday Times of London -- he was allegedly seen collaborating
with Hutu death squads. Among his alleged victims was the UNDP Administrative officer in Kigali
Ms. Florence Ngirumpatse who was hacked to death with school girls she was sheltering. Others
suspected him of fingering out U.N. Senegalese Captain Mbaye who courageously tried to save women
and children by smuggling them out in his jeep. A Muslim, Captain Mbaye secretly worked with Christian
Church priests and nuns to hide people until he found a way of sneaking them out of harm's way.

"Despite widespread accusations, no action was taken by U.N. peacekeeping, UNDP, or any other U.N.
body to investigate. He remained on the U.N. payroll in Rwanda for about seven years. When the Sunday
Times picked up his story at the time, it was told that he was no more on the U.N. payroll. That was
not true. In fact Callixte Mbarushimana was in effect promoted (!!) to assignments in Angola, then
Kosovo. It is not common for local U.N. staff to move from their country of recruitment to another
mission. In exceptional cases and based on outstanding performance -- or passing a General Service to
Professional exam -- a local staffer could be moved elsewhere or granted an international posting. But
given the man's notorious reputation, he must have received serious help from someone influential
enough at Headquarters in New York. He could not have applied or been recruited locally in another country;
nor would he
have any special local qualifications -- Angolans speak Portuguese, Kosovars speak Albanian or
Serbo Croat. The Rwandan at best is Francophone.

"It is interesting to note in report AT/DEC/1192 dated 30 September 2004, Callixte worked with UNDP-Luanda
as "a Local Area Network Manager" (!) from December 1996 to December 1999 -- three years, and that
was two years AFTER the massacres. On 10 November 2000, he was recruited for the U.N. Interim
Administration (UNMIK) in Kosovo as an "Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Architect" in Gilan region
at the IFLD3 -- a level on a limited contract, like most mission appointments -- through 30 April
2001. His contract was not extended -- he had been arrested on an international warrant on 11 April.

"It it also interesting to note that in 1999, in an undated "Statement of Concern," Gregory Alex, Human
Policy Advisor, Rwanda, formerly Chief, Emergency Unit UNDP Rwanda, made "very serious
accusations" referring to Callixte's role in the genocide and in the elimination and murder of U.N.
staff members and their families. He particularly referred to the death of Ms. Florence
Ngirumpatse. Emboldened, while now serving UNDP in Angola, Callixte wrote directly to the
Administrator of UNDP in a letter dated 26 November 1999, strongly refuting the charges. He followed
it -- with a letter straight to the Secretary General (former Peacekeeping Chief during Rwanda
massacres) on 22 February 2000. By November of that year, he was found that other job ENTAILING
DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY in Kosovo. But then, with the case gradually uncovered, the Representative of
Rwanda in New York delivered a warrant for his arrest to the Under-Secretary General for Legal
Affairs who on 10 April informed UNMIK's Legal Advisor, waiving the staff member's immunity from
legal process and from arrest or detention. Then the man obtained the backing of Lis Sejr,
Judge of the District Court of Gjilan, where he was stationed. On 12 April, she ruled that the
provisional detention should be for "the shortest possible period," she found "no evidence of the
alleged crime." Then on 6 June she ruled -- refusing the extradition. Five days later a panel --
in the same district of Gjilan -- sustained the local judge and on 19 June the Supreme Court of
Kosovo refused the extradition request, ordering the man's release. That is some power for a
Rwandan who had just arrived in a totally unfamiliar land only months earlier. It is amazing that
he could muster such local judicial support so swiftly at a level to which most Kosovars could
hardly aspire. Did he receive highly placed, informed and timely help? From whom? Kosovo is
totally under a U.N. mandate, ruled by expediently designated foreign politicians. Six U.N.
Representatives were changed during as many years. What role did the U.N. Representative office
in Pristina play in such an obviously contentious case? With whom in New York was he in touch,
or vice-versa? Besides proper appropriate contact between legal colleagues, who else from Headquarters
was involved?

"Appointments in the field are fairly well supervised and closely handled. Interested staff and retiring
or transferred diplomats know whom to contact. Officers directly in charge have acquired wide influence
by accommodating highly placed requests; some of them were gratefully rewarded by promotions and
occasional higher level mission assignments. Who among them was involved in this particular case?
On whose request?

"The mystery is further compounded by what the head of the international inquiry, Tony Greig of New
Zealand says. After collecting at least 24 statements from survivors, he helped draft an indictment
based on his submitted evidence. But for some reason the Chief U.N. Prosecutor delayed signing it.
Mbarushimana had been detained as the Rwanda war Tribunal was requested to investigate. But with no
official signature by the Chief Prosecutor, the evidenced indictment would not stand for too long,
particularly that the accused man disappeared then reappeared, claiming political asylum in France.
He was then enabled to raise a case with the Joint Appeals Board and the Administration Tribunal
on the grounds of wrongful dismissal.

"The irony is that he was "rewarded" on the tenth anniversary of the infamous Rwanda massacres while
the family of the only U.N. hero in this whole shameful episode, the murdered Senegalese Captain
Mbaye, is yet to receive an adequate reward.